When one thinks of the many vices a person can have, drinking lots of fizzy drinks can seem like an insignificant one. Carbonated drinks are affordable for everyone, widely available and can give you a boost just like coffee! It can’t be worse than cigarettes or drugs, right? Actually, carbonated can be quite harmful for your body and your mind.
The best thing you can do is to completely eliminate these drinks from your diet and replace them with healthy drinks.
Why are these drinks harmful?
Who would eat eight tablespoons of sugar in one go? Probably nobody! But when drinking a carbonated drink this is exactly what happens, since a single can of Coca Cola contains 39 grams of sugar. According to the American Heart Association, the recommended daily allowance of sugar is just six tablespoons for women and nine for men. It is therefore clear that carbonated drinks contain much more sugar than we should be taking in!
Sugar is responsible for intestinal permeability, because it allows some substances to move from the intestine to the blood, triggering diseases such as obesity and other metabolic disorders. In addition, sugar nourishes the bad bacteria and fungi of the intestine. If you take in too many added sugars, such as those found in carbonated drinks and other products, the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity and certain types of cancer also increases.
We have not even mentioned the problems that sugar causes for teeth: carbonated drinks contain not only sugars but also acids; these acids (and those created by the bacteria that live in sugar) erode tooth enamel and increase the risk of plaque.
Excessive intake of carbonated drinks has also been linked to memory loss and even a shrunken hippocampus, which is the part of the brain responsible for learning.
Diet drinks are not better
If the main problem of these drinks is sugar, one would think that diet drinks are healthier. Alas, this is not so.
Artificial sweeteners, such as Aspartame, are used in diet soft drinks. Aspartame consists of three chemical components: phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol. The first two are amino acids that, once in the body, go directly into the blood and can influence the functioning of the brain. Methanol, on the other hand, is converted into formaldehyde, a carcinogen that can cross blood-brain barriers. While animals can metabolize this substance, humans do not have the necessary enzyme. Aspartame is not as bad for your health as sugar, but has been linked to several cancers, including cancer of the liver, lung, brain and breast.
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People often reduce their intake of sugary drinks by embracing diet sodas, largely because they are afraid of type 2 diabetes. In fact, doing this could have the exact opposite effect. Diet sodas are also thought to contribute to certain cardiac disorders.
Artificial sweeteners also have a more intense taste than normal sugar, thus inhibiting taste buds. In this way, sensitivity to natural sweetness such as fruit is reduced and the hunger for added-sugar foods increases.
Carbonated soft drinks, both diet and normal, have no nutrients and no benefits for the body!
So what is the alternative?
My number one recommendation for a replacement is water! But there are also two other very good alternatives.
Kombucha is a fermented drink which is rich in probiotics. Probiotics destroy the bad bacteria responsible for infections, leaky gut, immune system dysfunction and many other problems. They also clean the liver and reduce chronic infections, often the root of many other diseases.
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Matcha tea is also a valid alternative. It contains the right amount of caffeine to give you an energy boost, though this charge is released slowly over 6-8 hours. It is also good for immune defenses and memory.
Even sparkling water with a slice of lemon or any other fruit or vegetable is better than any carbonated drink.
Try these alternatives and we are sure you will never want a carbonated drink ever again!
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2J7KUHU
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